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Weight Management
Classicway Family Practice offers comprehensive Weight Management for early detection and improved treatment outcomes
What is obesity?
Living with obesity or being overweight means that you are carrying too much weight in the form of body fat.
Living with obesity puts you in the highest weight range, above what’s considered healthy.
In Australia, 2 out of 3 adults and 1 in 4 children are living with obesity or are overweight.
It’s important to remember that obesity is not just about appearance — it increases a person’s risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other serious conditions.
What causes obesity?
Many things can cause weight gain.
For most people, obesity happens gradually by taking in more energy than your body needs over time. Foods and drinks contain energy (measured in kilojoules), which your body uses, especially during physical activity.
The average adult needs 8700 kJ each day.
Any extra energy you consume is stored as body fat.
Other things that can cause weight gain --
Obesity can also happen because of factors outside of your control, such as:
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your family history — the habits you grew up with and the genes you got from your parents
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your surroundings — what kinds of food are available and in what portions, and where you work and sleep
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your metabolism — how efficiently your body turns food into energy
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certain medical conditions that cause weight gain — such as hypothyroidism
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certain medicines that cause weight gain as a side effect — such as some antipsychotic medicines
How is obesity diagnosed?
Your doctor will measure your height and weight to calculate your BMI and to assess whether you are living with obesity or overweight.
For most adults:
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A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy.
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A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
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A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obesity.
A BMI measurement may be less accurate in certain groups of people who naturally have different muscle and fat mass. For example, athletes with high muscle mass may be considered as people with obesity based on their BMI, when they actually have a healthy weight. Children should not use a standard BMI measure. Read more on measuring and managing obesity in children.
Waist circumference -
Your doctor may measure your waist circumference to assess your weight. Obesity-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers, are more likely if you have a waist circumference of 94cm or more (for males) or 80cm or more (for females who aren’t pregnant).
Other tests
Your doctor may measure your blood pressure, blood glucose (sugar) and lipid (cholesterol) levels to assess your risk of other conditions associated with obesity.
At Classic Way Family Practice, our doctors provide comprehensive support
to help you achieve your weight loss goals.
How can we help?
Personalized Care
Tailored treatment plans designed to fit your lifestyle and health needs
Medical Expertise
Professional support from highly trained healthcare providers
Holistic Approach
Combining lifestyle changes, medications, and referrals for weight loss surgery
Our Comprehensive Obesity Management Services
1. Lifestyle Changes
We emphasize sustainable lifestyle adjustments, including:
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Customized Nutrition Plans – Balanced meal plans to promote gradual weight loss.
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Physical Activity Programs – Exercise regimens designed to enhance fitness and metabolic health.
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Behavioral Coaching – Support in building healthier habits for long-term success.
As obesity is a chronic medical condition. Patients with obesity and other risk factors are eligible for chronic disease management plan. Through this plan there is more support available through dieticians, exercise physiologist to achieve your goal of weight loss.
2. Medications
For patients requiring additional support, we offer TGA-approved weight loss medications under medical supervision to regulate appetite and metabolism.
The following drugs are approved for weight loss in Australia:
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Phentermine [Duromine ]: A sympathomimetic that suppresses appetite
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Orlistat: Reduces the absorption of dietary fat
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Liraglutide [Saxenda] : A glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist that decreases appetite
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Semaglutide [Wegovy]: A GLP-1 receptor agonist
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Naltrexone-bupropion [Contrave] : A combination of naltrexone and bupropion that can reduce hunger
These drugs are used in conjunction with lifestyle interventions to treat obesity and overweight in adults.
How they work
1
1
Phentermine
Suppresses appetite
2
Orlistat
Reduces the absorption of dietary fat
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Liraglutide
Decreases appetite and reduces energy intake
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Naltrexone-bupropion
Can reduce hunger
5
Topiramate
Used off-label to treat obesity because of the side effect of weight loss
Other considerations
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The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme does not subsidize medications indicated for obesity management.
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Some medications are subject to shortages.
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Weight loss medications are indicated for adults with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30 kg/m2 for obesity or 27 kg/m2 for overweight.
3. Weight Loss/Bariatric Surgery Referrals
Bariatric surgery includes a range of surgical procedures used for weight loss.
Bariatric surgery affects the stomach and how food is digested.
It is designed to make the stomach much smaller, which causes you to feel full after eating only a small amount of food.
The most common types of bariatric surgery in Australia are ----
In gastric sleeve surgery, most of the stomach is removed.
In a gastric bypass, a small stomach pouch is created by stapling. This is joined directly to the small intestine. Food bypasses most of the stomach and less calories are absorbed.
Lap band surgery (also called gastric banding) is another option, however, it's less commonly recommended in Australia. In lap band surgery, an adjustable ring is placed around the top part of the stomach. This creates a very small pouch, so food remains in the top part of the stomach for longer.
These surgeries are usually performed as a minimally invasive keyhole (laparoscopic) procedure, via several small incisions in the abdomen. Sometimes, open surgery with a larger incision is needed
